Barbell Shrugged

Doug Larson, Coach Travis Mash and Dr. Mike Lane break down power training for masters athletes and why staying strong doesn't automatically mean staying explosive. They discuss the age-related loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers, the demands that jumping and sprinting place on connective tissue, and why returning to explosive training requires a gradual progression. From jump rope and basic hops to hill sprints, box jumps, and squats paired with jumps, the crew explains how to rebuild the ability to move fast while preparing the body to handle rapid force production and landing.
The conversation expands beyond vertical jumps to the rotational and lateral power athletes use in jiu-jitsu, striking, tennis and everyday life. The crew shares practical options, including medicine ball throws, kettlebell movements, Olympic lift variations, agility drills and short sets of explosive burpees, and explains how to choose movements that fit your joints and training history. They also discuss using velocity and power feedback to track progress, keeping enough variety to make training fun, and preserving the physical reserve to react quickly, catch yourself and get off the ground as you age. If you want to keep feeling athletic through your 40s, 50s and beyond, this episode offers a practical starting point.
In this episode
Why speed and power are the first traits to fade with age
Easing back into jumping: jump rope, basic hops, then box jumps and hill sprints
Pairing squats with jumps, and preparing connective tissue for landing
Rotational and lateral power: med ball throws, kettlebells and Olympic lift variations
Tracking progress with velocity and power feedback
Keeping the reserve to react, catch yourself and get off the ground
Connect with the crew
Coach Travis Mash: mashelite.com
Coach Travis Mash on Instagram: @coachtravismash
Dr. Mike Lane on Instagram: @mikelanephd
Doug Larson on Instagram: @douglaselarson
Barbell Shrugged on Instagram: @barbell_shrugged
Work with Doug, Travis and Dr. Mike Lane: biomolecularathlete.com

Doug Larson, Coach Travis Mash and Dr. Mike Lane break down strength and conditioning for MMA and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, with a heavy emphasis on speed and power endurance. Doug shares lessons from his own fighting and coaching experience, including how he structures heavy bag intervals and a simple way to progress fight-specific conditioning. The crew covers aerobic fitness, recovery between rounds, and why your conditioning needs to reflect the muscles, movements and pace you actually use when you compete.
They also get into assessing and developing strength, mobility and work capacity, why strength can't replace technical skill (especially in jiu-jitsu), and how confidence in your defense lets you commit to your offense. If you train or coach combat sports, this one will help you find what's holding you back and make your gym work carry over to the mat or the ring.
In this episode
Doug's path from taekwondo to wrestling, jiu-jitsu and fighting MMA
Full-speed heavy bag intervals: hold the pace, rest when it drops, shrink the rest over time
Aerobic base vs. specificity, and how the big fast fibers recover between rounds
Simple threshold checks: the talk test and nasal breathing
Finding weak points: strength, muscle mass, mobility and single-leg strength
Why skill comes first, and why good defense builds offensive confidence
Connect with the crew
Coach Travis Mash: mashelite.com and Instagram @coachtravismash
Dr. Mike Lane: Instagram @mikelanephd
Doug Larson: Instagram @douglaselarson
Barbell Shrugged: Instagram @barbell_shrugged
Work with Doug, Travis and Dr. Mike Lane at Biomolecular Athlete

In this episode, veteran strength coach Robb Rogers joins Doug Larson, Coach Travis Mash, and Dr. Mike Lane to explore what decades of coaching collegiate athletes, professional teams, and military operators can teach us about building lasting performance. From the St. Louis Blues to special warfare, Robb explains what elite performers share, how tactical demands change the training equation, and why trust and personal accountability are essential to effective coaching. He shares how he builds programs with experienced athletes and chooses exercises around the person, their goals, and the demands they need to meet.
The conversation turns to getting stronger while keeping the ability to move well. The crew discusses the trade-offs of training to failure, using jumps to assess readiness, and maintaining mobility, elasticity, and movement skills alongside heavy lifting. Robb explains why the movement pattern matters more than the implement, while Travis and Mike share how a narrow focus on powerlifting affected their own athleticism. Whether you coach high performers or want to stay capable as you age, this episode offers practical ways to make your training carry over beyond the weight room.

I've been a fan of velocity-based training since I first experimented with it in 2005. After three four-week blocks, I hit PRs across my weightlifting and powerlifting lifts while really enjoying the training itself. It felt like I was running sprints in the weight room. Full speed, not to failure, full rest. Fun and effective. The work felt easier on my body, yet I felt faster and more explosive than I had before.
So getting to sit down with Dr. Bryan Mann, the person who brought VBT into the mainstream, was a conversation I'd been looking forward to for many years. We talk about where velocity tracking adds value, how the approach can fit different athletes, when it's useful, when it's unnecessary, measurement devices, and how to use it for maximum results in strength and power development. I came away reminded why I've loved this style of training for so long. Enjoy!

This week on Barbell Shrugged, Brian Newman joins Doug Larson and Dr. Mike Lane to talk about getting stronger, recovering from hard training, and staying healthy enough to keep doing what you love. Brian spent years working in professional baseball and now serves as Director of Health, Performance, and Safety for Fort Worth Fire. He explains how he trains firefighters who don't have an off-season and might get called out in the middle of a workout. We talk about moving in heavy gear, building a program around the squat, hinge, push, pull, and carry, and why getting crushed by a workout doesn't necessarily mean you're getting better.
We also get into what it takes to come back from an injury and actually perform well again. Brian explains why your wearable can't tell you everything, how to adjust training when you're not recovering, and why strength coaches and medical staff need to talk to each other throughout rehab. Whether you're training for a sport, doing a physically demanding job, or just want to keep lifting as you get older, there's a lot here you can use. Have a reason for the work you're doing, give yourself enough time to recover, and make sure the people helping you are on the same page.